File cabinet



J. Q. SHERMAN May 22, 1928.

FILE CABINET Filed Jan. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

M ATTORNEY6 May 22, 1928. 1 1,670,749

J. SHERMAN FILE CABINET Filed Jan. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 IN VEN TOR.

- ATTORNEYS Patented May 22, 1928.

Darren sea as pamm JOHN a. SHERMANKOFDAYTON, OHIO.

- mania FILE CABINET.

; Application filed January 21 1924. Serial-N0. 687,428;-

7 Vidual entry elements'carried on the holders,

said entry elements also having ofiset'designation indicia. I

It is further my object to provide for holders which are pivoted withinthe V Supporting arm for the side wall as showncabinet and are to berocked upward to a position to free the individual entry elements forremoval, said holders being automatically held up, and guided back whenthey have served their purpose.

In connection with the cabinet features of the device, it is my objectto provide for a top lid or cover which will swing down out of the way,and preferably to provide one of the sides of the cabinet to swin'gawayalso, thereby exposing a chart, on its inner face, and at the same timeproviding a desk upon which the individual entry elements can be placed.Byipreference I also provide forsnapping the lid to the underside ofthecabinet.

I accomplish my objects by that certain construction and arrangement ofparts @to be hereinafter more specifically pointed'out and claimed. y

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet when closed, showing indotted lines some of the interior arrangements;

Figure 2 is a section taken vertically through the device lengthwise ofthe holders.

Figurefi is a sectional detail showing the snap stop to hold the holdersfrom falling inwardly ofthe cabinet. a

v Figure 3 is a modification of the form of stop shown in Figure 3. t II I I v Figure 4 is a side elevation of oneof the holders.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the cabinet in use, 1

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of one of the holders filledwithcards. I

. Figure? isalview of a fragment of'the chart or index.

Referring tothe cabinet structure primarily, it will be noted that Iprovide acabinet having abase 1, endwalls 2, 2,.and permanent sidewall3, and a hinged side wall l. The handle for carrying the cabinetfrom place to placewill be mounted, say, on one of the end walls, asshown at 5. i w M v The lid 6 of the .box is hinged to the wall 4, andswings away with it, and asnap fas 1 tener 6 or its equivalent willbeplaced on the top of the lid, so that when swung open with the sidewall, it can be moved up under- 7 neath said sidewall and-snapped inplace as in the slot ;6, to be out of the way.

There will be an arc-shaped guiding and As shown also, it is preferableto mount the chart or index 7 on the inner face 'oftheside wall so thatit will be exposed to the operator when using the device. v y

, The lock for. the box .will be placed on the lid as at 8, so as torender. it unavail able to those not authorized, to inspect itscontents. y i I IVithinthe box, mounted betweenv ears 9,extendinginwardly from the one end'wall,

is a spindle or rod 10, on which the holders. aremounted. The holdersmay take a wide variety of forms, and I have illustrated but one, in.which preferably a thin metal plate 11' is provided havingancear 12 forengagling overthe spindle and having its lower edge flanged upwardly'atlto support the I lower edges'of the individual entry elements,

and a. return-bent flap 14;, extending fromthe back end to a pointfairlycloseto the :front, to prevent the cards from falling out .sidewise, andfrom falling out through the backfof the holder. The frontan'd topThecards '15, in the form illustrated, have tabs 16 which'are arrangedin offset relation to each other asshown in of the'holder'sare exposedto permitready I1 I the drawings, thereby exposing all tabs to view. Ihave lettered the tabs on the cards, and numbered the holders, but itwill be understood that this system of marking can be modified to suitthe individual "purpose.

The holders have on their upper edges the linger holds 11 which bea theidentificw tion numbers, and serve as handles whereby the holders arerocked on the mountingspindle.

The right side wall 2 is arranged so that the top edge of a holderwill-strike the side wall as indicated. at 11 when-the holder iselevated. Also on or near the top edge of i each of the holders in "theform shown in Figure 3, I press out a knob-'17,fo";r'provide some other,formof abutment, so that when a holder is pulled to "its upperposition, as shown in dotted lines at 18 in Figure 2, the

normal inner end of the holder will lie over the knob on the next holderto it thereb' I v i a I prevent-ingthe holder from i'al'hng back intothe cabinet andalso SGIV'JHO' to 'uide itin-to place when it IS deslredto iorce it down.

The section in Figure 3 shows a' reversed the holder knobs or catches,it'will 'be evident that it will always be easy to rock a holder backinto position.

The index or chart may be arranged with names as at 20, in alphabeticrelation, and after each name will be entered the number of the holderand letter'of the card, folder or envelope, upon will be found,

Thus the name IV. Frank is in hold-er number 1 letter A card. The 'nanieF. L.

Merkle is in holder 12," letter D card.

i In use the operator will opeirtlie cabinet or Within which the nameand thus will have his chartbeforef him,

and a" writing place for making entries. He will take each name in turn'and first get from the index where the name card' is to be found, andwill then grasp; the holder of the right number and lift it up until itwvill not come any further. The holder will then stay in place, butWill'not be out of interleaved relat'iontothe other holders. Theindividual card designiation tabs will be exposed, however, as thecards; are thrust in between the bodies ot'the holders and the flaps .14thereof, leaving theirFta'bs exposed.

' The individual card is then withdrawn,

placeclon the writing support, ,and the desired entry made'fa fter whichit will be replaced, and the holder thrust down, throw ing it intocorrectli nb f? fallinginto place.

This is naturally a very simple operation and provides all of thefeatures of a very quickly available and complete filing system for.a'lar e number of individual entry elements. As shown the finger holdson the holders will be arranged in offset relation, and-in ,as many rowsas may be foundconvenient, so that there is plenty of finger Cspacetopermit the operator to grasp and down on the chart"tlie' numberj andletter of said card. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:-,

1. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, a series ofholders pivotally mounted in said cabinetj,'said' holders having fingerholds and index notations thereon, said notations exposed when the'c'ab"inet is open, and individual entry elements removably earried vvithinthejholders, said individual entry elements having exposed indexnotation thereon, said 'pivotahmounting adapted to permit individualholders to be swung up away from the others, thereby exposing theindividual entry elements for withdrawal. I l v 2. A device "of thecharacter describedcomprising a cabinet, a, series of holders,

meansfor pivotallymounting said holders,

adapted to permit individual holders to be' sWu-ng'up from the otherholders, and means for automatically retaining'a holder against fallingback into the assembly of holdersby 7 gravity after it has been swun par '3. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, a seriesof holders, means for pivotallymounting said holders, adapted to permitindividual holders to be swung up but not sofar as to be outof'interleaved engagement with the other holders, and means forautomatically retaining a holder against falling'back into the assemblyof holders by gravity after it has be rswung 4. A device of thecharacter described comprising a cabinet, a series of holde'rs, meansfor pivotally mounting said holders, adapted to permit individualholders to swung up from the other holders, and'means forautomatieallyretaining a holder" against falling" back into the assembly of holdersby gravity after it "has been swung up; said means comprising elementson the" holder's themselves adapted to presentYhbutments to the edges ofadjacent-holders. J

5. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, a seriesholders,

means for pivotally mounting said holders, adapted to permit individualholders to be swung up from the other holders, and means forautomatically retaining a holder against falling back into the assemblyof holders by gravity after it has been swung up, said means comprisingknobs formed near the top edges of the holders and adapted to engage thelower edges of swung-up holders, when same are in swung-up positions.

6. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, a series ofholders pivoted therein so to swing upwardly of the cabinet, and aclosure for the cabinet comprising a side wall and lid thereofarticulated to ether, and the side wall articulated to the cabinet, saidside wall having supporting means with relation to the cabinet to ietainit in position for a writing support.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, a seriesof holders pivoted therein so as to swing upwardly of the cabinet, and aclosure for the cabinet comprising a side wall and lid thereofarticulated together, and the side wall articulated to the cabinet, saidside wall having supporting means w-ith relation to the cabinet toretain it in position for a writing sup--v means for holding the 11d 1npoport, and sition turnedunder the side wall and fastened thereto, so asto remove it as an obstruction.

8. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet, a series ofholders pivotally mounted in said cabinet, said holders having fingerholds and index notations thereon, said notations exposed when thecabinet is open, and individual entry elements removably carried withinthe holders, sa1d individual entry elements having exposed indexnotations thereon, said pivotal mounting adapted to' permit individ ualholders 'to be swung up away from the others, thereby exposing theindividual I entry elements for withdrawal, and a chart/for theidentification of the holders and individual entry elements within theholders, mounted on the cabinet.

9. A device of the character comprising a cabinet, a top lid movablymounted to open the top of the cabinet, a side wall, also movablymounted to swing downwardly so as to expose its inner face,

a chart on the side wall inner face, and a series of holders in thecabinet, means for permanently reta1n1ng them 1n the .cablnet,

said means being adapted to permit the holddescribed

